Tampons for feminine hygiene are typically used within a woman's vagina to absorb body exudates, such as menstrual fluids. Tampons are generally categorized by absorbency level to enable women to select a tampon that provides optimal leakage protection, that is, the tampon should prevent menstrual discharges from leaking out of the user's body. Absorbency level is generally regulated and publicized, such as, e.g., on the tampon package, wrapper, and/or applicator of the tampon, to assist women in selecting the proper tampon. Women often experience unexpected leakage, however, even though they believe they have chosen a tampon with the correct absorbency level. This unexpected leakage can contribute to a feeling of anxiety in the consumer during use.
Because tampons are typically used within a woman's vagina, a user generally cannot evaluate how the tampon is performing during use by viewing the tampon. Instead, a user may evaluate the effectiveness of the tampon based on whether or not the user experiences leakage. A user may also evaluate effectiveness of the tampon based on the appearance of the tampon after use and/or before use. For example, a user may view the tampon post-use to determine the distribution of menstrual fluid within the tampon and/or may view the tampon pre-use to visually identify any leakage protection features that may be apparent. Thus, tampon appearance can provide information to a user that can potentially alleviate feelings of anxiety with respect to unexpected leakage.
As such, it would be desirable to provide a tampon having improved leakage protection. It would also be desirable to provide a tampon having an improved visual appearance before and/or after use.